Movie Monday (a day late): Crimson Peak

My friend Kim Harrington brought something very interesting to my attention: a Victorian haunted house movie directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska!

Check out the trailer:


(Obviously the film stars many famous/amazing people in addition to Hiddleston and Wasikowska, but LOKI and JANE EYRE in a ghost movie??? Seriously, what could be better?)

The trailer certainly is gorgeous and creepy. It also seems a bit "over-the-top" in some places. I loved Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone, but I think del Toro can get carried away sometimes (e.g. Pacific Rim).

In many ways the trailer reminds me of those old Ken Russell movies like Gothic or Lair of the White Worm. It also brings Gormenghast to mind. These associations leave me feeling a little nostalgic and a lot apprehensive. I just don't want the style of the film to overwhelm the story and characterization.



Steve has already told me he won't see it, and I know it's a bit too dark and sexy for certain friends. So looks like I'll be cowering in a theater all by lonesome in mid October! Will YOU be seeing it?

P.S. Supernatural fans will be pleased to learn that Jim Beaver is part of the cast!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Movie Monday: PADDINGTON

Yesterday we saw Paddington.

Steve grew up with the books and cherished his very own stuffed Paddington bear. I, on the other hand, hardly knew anything about this world-traveling, marmalade-loving creature. But after seeing a few positive reviews of the film, I decided we needed a little whimsey from the big screen this weekend.

Turns out it was one of the best films I've seen in a long time!

The script is clever and funny -- appealing both to kids and adults -- and the performances are top notch. Ben Whishaw does amazing work as the voice of Paddington (so glad he stepped in when Colin Firth didn't work out), and I could go on and on about the high quality CGI and cinematography, as well as the delightful set design of the Browns' house. There's so much to gush about! But why don't I link you to some professional reviewers who had high praise for the film:

The New Yorker -- "Perfectly Captures a Particular English Sensibility"
The Telegraph -- "A total delight"
Entertainment Weekly -- "fast-paced yet unhurried, serving up surprisingly subtle ideas on melting-pot urban diversity"

The official trailer wasn't nearly as charming as the film, so I'll include this clip of the Brown family's first encounter with our bear from darkest Peru:



Please go see it, and take the kiddos!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Birthday indulgences

I had the entire weekend all to myself and, after a rough start with tornadoes and storms, it turned out to be a lovely extension to my birthday. Though I did get some writing and housework done, I mostly indulged in my favorite things.


Like tea, for instance. I hadn't yet used my Minton Haddon Hall china, and my indulgent birthday weekend seemed the perfect time to do so. (We visited Haddon Hall during the summer of 2011, and I fell utterly in love with the place. When I saw the china in the gift shop, I had to find a way to make it mine.) For this particular afternoon tea I enjoyed an orange scone from Panera with Lychee Coconut White Tea from Tea Forte. I particularly recommend the tea. It's light, refreshing, and quite good without sugar or milk. (AND it's supposed to make your skin radiant!)


I also spent a fair amount of time in front of the TV. Rewatching Bright Star was particularly delightful -- such a feast for the eyes and ears! But it struck me this time around how Jane Campion's film is really about the drama and angst of young love -- how it can be so fervid and profound, but at the same time somewhat self-indulgent and performative. I could see all that (and hey, I've been there and done that), but I still ached for Fanny Brawne and John Keats. And, as always, watching Ben Whishaw with the cat made me swoony. What is it about men and cats?

Oooh look -- "Hot Guys with Cats"! Heh.

This tumblr is cute, too.

*Ahem*

Along with TV, I indulged in reading. I finished The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar (in which two teens uncover the mysteries of a crumbling Italianate house), and read the first third of Kate Atkinson's Life after Life (in which, to massively oversimplify, a girl relives her life over and over, adapting as she goes). I'm a huge Atkinson fan, having loved all the Jackson Brodie books as well as Behind the Scenes at the Museum, but I have a feeling this one will somehow manage to be even more fabulous. How will I get any work done?

Finally, I gave myself a present by finally framing (& hanging) a painting created for me by the wonderfully talented Heather at Audrey Eclectic. A while back I sent her an ARC of The Dark Between, and she painted a scene of the three main characters together. I love it so!


Here you can see Kate (plain and pragmatic), Elsie (beautiful and languid -- LOVE the drowsy eyes!), and Asher (handsome and arrogant), sitting in front of Summerfield College, which is based on Newnham College, Cambridge. In the border you see the ghostly images of family members and loved ones who haunt the main characters, sometimes figuratively, other times literally.


The frame is more ornate that I ordinarily might have chosen, but it seemed to fit the early Edwardian setting of the story. It looks wonderful on the wall!

Stay tuned for a Dark Between ARC giveaway in which I might just offer goodies related to this painting. Weeee!

In the meantime, tell me how you've indulged yourself lately, for a birthday or otherwise. :)

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Movie Monday: THE HAUNTING (1963)

My final ghostly offering from Martin Scorsese's 11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time is the unforgettable and endlessly re-watchable The Haunting, directed by Robert Wise (who made the film between directing West Side Story and The Sound of Music -- not too shabby).


What Scorsese has to say:
“You may not believe in ghosts but you cannot deny terror!” was the tagline for this absolutely terrifying 1963 Robert Wise picture about the investigation of a house plagued by violently assaultive spirits.

So what's the story? As Dr. Richard Markway explains in the introductory voice-over: "It was an evil house from the beginning - a house that was born bad." Markway (Richard Johnson) sets out to gather "psychically-inclined" people to study Hill House. Only two show up -- fragile Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris) and stylish clairvoyant Theodora (Claire Bloom). The young man who will inherit the house, skeptical Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), joins them as well.


Like all the films I've recommended, this is not a shock and gore fest. In fact, tension and dread build slowly as the four explore the house. One thing I love is how, unlike the claustrophobic tight shots of The Innocents, the 30mm wide angle Panavision lens of The Haunting often made the characters seem small and helpless, almost as if they might fall out of frame. (I wish I had a better example to show you than the one above.) Tilted shots and quick cuts also contribute to the viewer's disorientation.


The house is creepy enough by day, but the horror really kicks into gear at night. Every time I sit through these scenes of Nell and Theo in their bedroom -- scenes in which we see nothing but fear everything -- my heart pounds wildly. It's genius!


Is the house warping its inhabitants -- making them paranoid, fearful, unhinged -- or are their pre-existing neuroses feeding the house? Both? I love this off-center shot of Eleanor in high contrast lighting.

I first saw The Haunting shortly after reading Shirley Jackson's brilliant The Haunting of Hill House, and I could only focus on the differences between novel and screenplay. Now I appreciate that this film is quite wonderful on its own terms. If possible, get your hands on the DVD with commentary. I find it so interesting to hear how Julie Harris felt isolated and depressed during filming, and how she thought the other castmembers were buddying up and sometimes even making fun of the film, which she found disrespectful. The other actors all remark on how Julie Harris isolated herself purposefully, as if she were method acting. Richard Johnson has loads to say about his performance, Robert Wise's direction, and the differences between film and stage acting. (He's very charming and eloquent.) And the input from Robert Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding, each now deceased, is priceless.

And this concludes my Halloween ghostly film rec series. I do hope you will revisit at least one of these B&W classics. If you do, please let me know what you think!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Movie Monday: The Innocents (1961)

As we continue with ghostly B&W films from Martin Scorsese's 11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time, I must confess how much I love Henry James' Turn of the Screw. I've read it several times, seen the play, seen the opera, seen (& taught) the 1999 BBC adaptation with Jodhi May and Colin Firth, and I never can get enough. Therefore I was eager to see this classic B&W adaptation starring Deborah Kerr.

What Scorsese has to say:
This Jack Clayton adaptation of The Turn of the Screw is one of the rare pictures that does justice to Henry James. It’s beautifully crafted and acted, immaculately shot (by Freddie Francis), and very scary.


The story: a wealthy man hires a young, inexperienced governess to educate his nephew and niece and to preside over the running of his remote country estate. The only catch? He will be elsewhere, and she must never bother him with questions or concerns. Despite this, our governess makes a good start. The house and grounds are beautiful, and young Flora seems a delightful girl.

(Notice the use of deep focus in the above shot--Flora is smiling sweetly, but the shot is a little creepy, isn't it? Overall there is a very claustrophobic feel to the way this film is shot, and it heightens the horror in a lovely way.)


Everything changes when young Miles is sent home from school. He's a charming boy, but Miss Giddens* suspects more is going on. The children sometimes behave oddly together and are suspiciously secretive. The more she learns about their past, the more certain she is that they are haunted . . . and perhaps even in danger of becoming possessed.

*The governess is unnamed in the original story


She is determined to save their souls, no matter the peril.

Like the previously discussed films, The Innocents features a slow build of psychological horror rather than sudden shocks or gore. Still, I'd rank this one a little higher on the fright scale. It's dark, tense, and at times, very disquieting. If there are any other fans of The Innocents out there, do share your favorite things about it (as long as they're not terribly spoilery)!

One thing that lingered in my mind long after the film was over -- the song "Willow Waly." We hear Flora singing it before the opening credits begin, and it continues as a refrain throughout. It beguiles and chills at the same time:



Next week we conclude with The Haunting (1963) -- one of my very favorite haunted house movies of all time!

P.S. I just learned of a 2009 TV adaptation of Turn of the Screw with Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens (Lady Mary and Cousin Matthew)! What what? By all accounts it is terrible, and yet . . . I might have to take a look.

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Movie Monday: The Uninvited (1944)

My second ghostly recommendation from Scorsese's 11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time is The Uninvited, based on a novel by Dorothy Macardie, featuring a screenplay by Dodie Smith (I Capture the Castle! 101 Dalmations!) and Frank Partos.

What Scorsese has to say:
Another, more benign haunted house picture, set in England, no less atmospheric than The Haunting [which I will feature later] — the tone is very delicate, and the sense of fear is woven into the setting, the gentility of the characters.


The basic plot: during a getaway to the coast, a brother and sister (played by Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) come across a gorgeous mansion overlooking the sea. They decide to pool their meager resources to buy it. As brothers and sisters often do. No, really! It's charming.

(As I've been reminded by the more sensible forum posters on imdb.com, in that time an unmarried sister would keep house for her bachelor brother, so I shouldn't tease.)


Isn't the house beautiful? Or is that just a model? Sadly, The Uninvited was filmed in California rather than England, and most of the actors are American, but you'll still be swept up in the mystery. Something isn't quite right with the house, you see. The animals run away. Disturbing sounds and cold spots trouble the new owners, and the maid is threatening to leave. The pretty girl down the street, who happened to grow up in the house, tries to leap off the cliff when she visits. What can be done?


Have a séance, of course!

After a slow start (during which an awkward romance develops between the brother and the cliff-leaping girl--their scenes are guaranteed to make you giggle), things start to get truly creepy. There's at least one jump-in-your-seat moment, and the special effects are surprisingly effective. The Uninvited is a great film for an October evening by the fire -- if you can find a copy. I had to buy the VHS tape, but there are rumors of a DVD release in the near future. Or perhaps you can find it on TCM?

Next week: The Innocents (1961)

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Movie Monday: Dead of Night

As research for a new story, I recently watched four B&W ghostly films from Martin Scorsese's 11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time. Note to the scaredy cats: on a scale of heart-pounding,jump-out-of-your-seat horror, these movies rate fairly low, so even you might want to check them out!

The first offering is Dead of Night (1945), featuring stories from H.G. Wells, E.F. Benson, and screenwriters John Baines and Angus MacPhail (the latter of whom wrote for Hitchcock and apparently coined the term "MacGuffin"):


In the words of Scorsese:

A British classic: four tales [my note: actually five] told by four strangers mysteriously gathered in a country house, each one extremely disquieting, climaxing with a montage in which elements from all the stories converge into a crescendo of madness. [...] it’s very playful…and then it gets under your skin.

The frame story for this film is so cleverly scripted and skillfully performed that it's easy to hand wave the preposterousness of how these people came together to tell their tales. Dead of Night also has a lovely Noir* feel to it. There are no sudden moments of screamworthy shock; rather, it's a slow burn of confusion, alienation, and psychological horror.


My favorite story within the collection, based on "The Chippendale Mirror" by E.F. Benson, features a very unique sort of haunting. A man's fiancée buys an antique mirror as a wedding present. One day when he's alone and checking his appearance, he notices that the reflection does not match the surroundings of his apartment. In fact, he sees himself in a darkly sumptuous bedroom with a four poster bed and fireplace, seemingly from another time. He's the only one who sees it, and it starts to drive him mad . . .


The most disturbing tale in the film offers Michael Redgrave as an unhinged ventriloquest whose dummy seems to be rebelling against him. Did any of you ever see Magic with Anthony Hopkins? I did, and I was too young to really understand what was going on. It haunts me to this day, and this story brought it all back. It's worth checking out the film for Redgrave's performance alone.

For me, the only unsatisfying part of Dead of Night was the story of the golf buddies fighting for the love of the same woman. There's a ghost, yes, but it wasn't enough to get me past the idiocy of the premise.

You science buffs might get a kick out of this little bit of trivia from the Internet Movie Database: Cosmolgists Fred Hoyle, Thomas Gold and Hermann Bondi, developed the (now discredited) Steady State theory of the universe, an alternative to the Big Bang, after seeing "Dead of Night". They said that the circular nature of the plot inspired the theory.

Next week: The Uninvited (1944)
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*Speaking of Noir and circular plots, I saw Looper yesterday. LOVED IT. Such an ambitious screenplay is bound to have a few holes in it, but I appreciate Rian Johnson for taking risks and making me think. Lots of fine performances, too. I was totally swept up in the story.

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]